The Beneficial Effect of the Addition of Fly Ash on Reduction of the Size of Microcracks in the ITZ of Concrete Composites under Dynamic Loading

Grzegorz Ludwik Golewski
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Grzegorz Ludwik Golewski: Department of Structural Engineering, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Lublin University of Technology, Nadbystrzycka 40 str., 20-618 Lublin, Poland

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 3, 1-14

Abstract: The paper presents results of tests on the effect of the addition of fly ash (FA) in the amounts of 0%, 20%, and 30% by weight of cement on the interfacial microcracks in concrete composites subjected to dynamic loads. The analyses were carried out based on the results of the microstructural tests using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The average width of the microcracks ( W c ) in the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) of coarse aggregate with cement matrix was evaluated. During the studies beneficial effect of the addition of FA on reduction of the size of W c in the ITZ of concrete composites under dynamic loading were observed. Based on obtained test results, it was found that using the 20% FA additive causes favorable changes in the microstructure of mature concrete. In this composite, the average value of W c was lower by more than 40% compared to the result obtained for the reference concrete. In contrast, concrete containing 30% FA additive had greater microcracks in the ITZ area by over 60% compared to the material without additive. In all analyzed composites, an increase in the W c value by almost 70% to over 110% in the case of occurrence of dynamic loads was also observed. This was the most evident in the case of concrete with a higher content of FA.

Keywords: concrete composite; fly ash (FA); dynamic loading; microcrack; scanning electron microscope (SEM); interfacial transition zone (ITZ); width of the microcrack ( W c ) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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